And as a special treat this evening

I have asked America's foremost young poet

to read his latest poem for us



{*scratching by DJ Premier: "ladies and gentlemen.."

"Na Na Na Nastradamus"

"Everybody watch him"

"ladies and gentlemen.."

"Na Na Na Nastradamus"

"We we we came a long way"

"ladies and gentlemen.."

"Na Na Na Nastradamus"

"Everybody watch him"

"ladies and gentlemen.."

"Na Na Na Nastradamus"*}



[Nas]

Yo..

Yo.. yo..

Power and crime, the thugs slingin powder and dimes

Twenties of D, is yo' niggaz wilder than mine?

My niggaz bust nines, puff lye and stick up cowards

for they shine, you resist, then you push up flowers

I'm like Lou Cabrasi, Vito's best hit-man

That's "Godfather" shit, back seat, next lit plans

Revolvers spit, I'm too tough to bargain with

And you don't want the God to pull up the cars that's sick

Arms and wrists is lit up, Queensbridge Kings

Plaques awards applause when I do my thing

Streets is black as midnight, the concrete gray

with stains of blood and germ and piss all day

Come on the ave, get sized up, plus appraised

Duck and pray that my guns dont' bust your way

Niggaz with names, livin off reputation

Sometimes gotta remind you ain't nothin changin



{*scratching by DJ Premier: "ladies and gentlemen.."

"Na-Na-Na-Nastradamus"

"Everybody watch him"}



Chorus: Nas (repeat 2X)



If you ill come get me, cause I ain't runnin

If your gun's off the hook then we'll both be gunnin

Come get me if you real, cause I ain't scared

It's all fair in love and war

1 - and I'm well prepared

2 - we can take it there



[Nas]

You don't like me clown? Now you wanna take me down?

If I bring my face around, you gon' do what? You butt

Your crew knew I blew up, I been shinin - baseball diamonds

Dick rings for your chicklings

Niggaz know what my nine pearl handle's about

Fuck you say girlie mouth? Get it krunk like the Dirty South

And I know you see me flossed out, multi-milli-i

Hear your bitch talk about me, you give her the cold eye?

Girls dig you, imagine what she feel for me?

You make hot songs, but she know you steal from me

Who ill as me? I wild on haters in album three

Next level - I take y'all niggaz to 3-D

Can't find a nigga shook from Queens

I'll be with the most grimy killers

(what nigga) and they all look clean

who put bombs underneath cars, if you want beef then start

Your next stop is to the graveyard



Chorus



[Nas]

You too feminine to kill again, jail got you soft

You talk but you scared to go back up North

Keep your face twisted, but you don't really want nuttin

Talk a bunch of shit motherfucker and stop frontin

You don't wanna flip again, and sell drugs again

Be on the run again, catch you at the Comfort Inn

Shoot up your door, bust in on you and your whore

Put y'all in bags, clean the blood off of the floor

So play tough, I want y'all to get out of line

I got nines, every color shape and design

I sent killers every race to put one in your spine

Two in your ear, get your crew, who do I fear?

Nobody never get involved and none of em dyin

I think like you do, roll with about two irons

Catch me flyin, high in the aircraft winin

- and dinin, you die, then we laugh, you bitch-ass

?? to gauze up, your stab wounds

While I'm gettin head, in a Lear jet, bathroom

With all my goons, all my ice, and suitcases

full of paper, not money it's bank statements

The Illmatic that explains how we rock

Yachts and co-ops, we buy the hood and sell you a block



Chorus



{*scratching by DJ Premier: "ladies and gentlemen.."

"Na-Na-Na-Nastradamus"

"Everybody watch him"

"ladies and gentlemen.."

"Na-Na-Na-Nastradamus"

"We-we-we came a long way"

"ladies and gentlemen.."

"Na-Na-Na-Nastradamus"

"Everybody watch him"

"ladies and gentlemen.."

"Na-Na-Na-Nastradamus"*}



{*scratching by DJ Premier: "ladies and gentlemen.."}

{*scratching by DJ Premier: "ladies and gentlemen